Gunes Hizlilar

Young harpist Gunes Hizlilar was born in İstanbul, Turkey. She has been described by the musical authorities as "who has a deep intellect of music and one of the major talents of the current harp world". When she was only 14, she won the 1st prize under the 21 years old's category in Marcel Tournier International Harp Competition in Italy. She also had the 1st Prize in International Harp Academy Competition in Germany in 2016, 2nd prize in Slovene International Harp Competition 2013 and the honor prize in Ksenia Erdely Golden Key International Harp Competition 2012 in Russia.
She has been invited to participate as the principal harpist in the Pacific Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Arthur Arnold in Powell River, Canada, BC during the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy 2015. Beside of performing in the orchestra she has been succesfully participated in Concerto Competition organized by PRISMA and she has been selected to perform as a soloist with the Pacific Philharmonic Orchestra. During her participation in this academy she has been supported by the Rotary Club of Fatih, İstanbul.
She has also participated as a soloist with the orchestras such as; Istanbul University State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and Eskisehir Metropolitan Orchestra. The conductors she has been worked are Bruno Weil, Ramiz Melik Aslanov, Lavard Skou Larsen, Ender Sakpınar and Christian Simonis.
She had started her music education when she was 11 at the University of Istanbul State Conservatory in the harp department under the Ms. Umit Tunak. She gave her debut recital when she was 17 in Dogus University. She has been selected to attend to the Harp Masters Academy in Switzerland with a scholarship provided by the "Association of the Art of the Harp" in Turkey, it was given in a memory of Turkish harpist Ceren Necipoğlu who passed away in an unfortunate plane crush. In Switzerland, Gunes had the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of well-known harpists such as Isabelle Perrin, Irina Zingg and Karen Vaughan.
She has also participated in a lot of fellow harpists's masterclasses such as Isabelle Moretti, Godelieve Schrama, Jana Bouskova, Nancy Allen, Alice Giles, Margareth Köll... Since 2015 October, she is continuing her education in the Mozarteum University of Salzburg as a pupil of the harp Professor Mr. Stephen Fitzpatrick who is the principal harpist of the Staatskapelle Berlin. She is also supported by Modern Education Foundation and performing in concerts in Salzburg as one of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundaton's "Live Music Now" artists.